#12 Wayne State 67 Southwest Minnesota State 58

A career-high 21 points by junior forward Millie Niggeling gave 12^th-ranked Wayne State College the offensive boost it needed for a 67-58 win over Southwest Minnesota State on Friday night at Rice Auditorium. The win improved the NSIC leading Wildcats to 18-2 overall, 11-2 in conference play while the Mustangs fall to 3-14, 1-12 in NSIC play. It also marks the 10^th straight win for WSC over the Mustangs.
            The Wildcats never trailed in the win, thanks to a pair of quick buckets from Jordan Spencer and Shantel Lehmann. Free throws by Jaylan Spencer and Jordan Spencer extended the Wildcat lead to seven (15-8) halfway through the first period.
            But stingy defense by the Mustangs and sharp shooting by Jessie Watts and Alison Nagel pulled the Mustangs back to within three points, 15-12, with just 7:42 remaining in the opening period. Nagel finished the first half with 10 of her team-high 21 points for Southwest Minnesota State.
            The two teams would exchange baskets in the final seven minutes of the period, with Niggeling closing out the first period with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer with 25 ticks left on the clock to extend the Wildcats lead to 30-22 going into the locker room at the break.  
            A Mustang basket just 13 seconds into the second period cut Wayne State's lead to six, but that would be the closest the game would be throughout the final 20 minutes. The Wildcats went on a 7-0 run through the next four minutes to extend their lead to 40-26. Free throws by Jordan Spencer and Ellen Hansen sandwiched a Shantel Lehmann jumper down the stretch.
            Niggeling provided her spark at that point, recording a pair of steals, a pair of rebounds and a bucket to stretch the Wildcat lead to 45-29 with 12:33 remaining in the game. The 16-point lead matched the largest lead of the night for WSC.
            That lead would be tested through the last quarter of the game, as the Mustangs closed the gap to 60-51 with just under three minutes to play. But WSC baskets on three straight possessions helped the Wildcats fend off the comeback bid by SWMSU.
            Niggeling finished the night 8-12 from the floor, 3-5 from the three-point line, good for a career-best 21 points. Junior forward Jordan Spencer added 19 points of her own in the win, also swiping a team-best four steals.
            WSC improved their shooting from 39.3 percent in the opening frame to 53.8 percent in the second half, finishing 25-54 from the floor for 46.3 percent shooting.
            Southwest Minnesota State was led by Alison Nagel's team-high 21 points on the night, finishing 10-13 from the floor. As a team, the Mustangs shot 46.3 percent (25-54) and 30 percent (3-10) from beyond the arc. Rebekah Rolling chipped in 10 points as well, the only other player to score double-digits for SWMSU.
            The Mustangs won the battle of the boards, grabbing a 32-28 edge in rebounds. Ellen Hansen (8), Jordan Spencer (7) and Millie Niggeling (6) combined for 21 of WSC's 28 rebounds in the game. Wayne State forced 23 turnovers, scoring 27 of their points off Mustang turnovers.
            The Wildcats return to Rice Auditorium tomorrow night, Saturday, January 24, when they host the University of Sioux Falls. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.